It has been just over two months since Red Bull Brasil and Bragantino announced a strategic alliance – no purchase or merger, not yet – in the face of the B Series 2019 Brazilian Championship. The project is on the right track after eight matches.

Bragantino leads the standings with a 6-1-1 record with 13 goals in favor and only 2 against. Part of the premature success is because the payroll was made up of the base of the players – and the coaching staff – with which Red Bull Brazil got the most points during the first phase of the 2019 Paulista Championship. (Bragantino barely contributed three players in the fusion”). Coach Antonio Carlos “Zago” knew how to supply Jobson and Osman with men like Pedrinho (from the RBB academy), Wesley and veteran Thiago Ribeiro.

The game style of Bragantino has the Red Bull brand. A team with speed, which presses high and bets on transitions. At the same time it is a team that does not suffer much at the moment of having possession of the ball because “Zago” did a competent job in selecting players with sufficient technical quality to do so. It is strange to see a bad pass in Bragantino.

Something that stands out in Bragantino compared to other Red Bull teams is that it relies on veterans. 15 payroll players are over 25 years old. The issue is common in Brazilian football since the best prospects tend to go to Europe or to the big teams in Brazil since they are teenagers. The remaining youngsters have to compete against men with many miles on their legs, some with a past in Europe, wise players when interpreting the game.

A trip to Salzburg

The B Series 2019 Brazilian Championship was recessed for the celebration of the Copa América in Brazil. The moment was taken to take the team to Salzburg to train for more than a week at the headquarters of Red Bull Salzburg. There he played friendly games against Levski Sofia, Ferencvaros and Legia Warsaw. The team won 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1, respectively. He will have an additional match against Budapest Honved before returning to Brazil for the resumption of Serie B. I imagine that Ralf Rangnick had his first contact with the team in what is his new role with the Red Bull global project.

The juveniles

At the youth level, Red Bull Brasil and Bragantino participate separately in the Under-15, U-17 and U-20 tournaments of the São Paulo Football Federation. The Red Bull Brazil Sub-15 and U-20 teams are the first of their groups in the first phase. The U-17 is second place, but part of its elements won the LNTS International Cup after beating Sao Paulo 3-2 in the final.